Vipers Book 3: Tempting Venom by Rina Kent

 

Vipers Book 3

From New York Times bestselling author Rina Kent comes a nail-biting MM dark romance between two hockey rivals.

When two ruthless enemies collide.

My name is Preston Armstrong, and I’m the most depraved bastard you’ll ever meet.

I take what I want, ruin what I don’t, and live exactly how I please.

That is, until I crash into the force of nature that is Marcus Osborn.

Captain of our rival hockey team, and the perpetual thorn in my side.

A migraine in human form and the one person who refuses to play by my rules.

He’s my brand of heartless and just as deranged.

I set out to crush him, his career, and his infuriatingly gorgeous face.

But Marcus hits back with equal force, turning our rivalry into a violent, addictive dance neither of us can walk away from.

We were supposed to annihilate each other.

Instead, we spark a fire that threatens to devour everything in its path.

In this battle of two unhinged souls, our bodies become collateral damage.

But I never expected our stone-cold hearts to get involved.

Tempting Venom is a male x male college romance. While this book can be read on its own, for a better understanding of the world, it's recommended to read Beautiful Venom & Sweet Venom first.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220735489-tempting-venom

********

My Review: 5/5 Stars

I have been beyond excited to get my hands on Preston and Marcus’s book and it has arrived! And even better, it was far from disappointing. Time to see what has exactly been going on between these two this entire series. Let’s start with Marcus. Marcus may be an Osborn, but he is essentially the illegitimate son. His mom loves him fiercely and has done what she can to protect him from his dad’s family. His dad has just never been emotionally there for Marcus. But now, years later, Marcus’s dad is trying to bring him into the fold? The reason? No male heirs. Not after Marcus’s half brothers have died. Doesn’t matter. Marcus wants nothing to do with that family. But he doesn’t mind using some connections when it comes to Preston Armstrong. Preston is chaotic and wild and a little unhinged. But that comes from serious trauma in his life. Something that just never truly been addressed in the best of ways throughout the years. But instead of running from it, Marcus seems to only want to come closer. While it may look like they are rivals on and off the ice, and okay they are, it becomes so much more when they cross some lines. Their relationship may seem messy and crazy and so many other things, but in reality… they are the best thing for one another. Marcus is Preston’s safe space, even if it takes him a while to realize it. And Preston is Marcus’s to protect and care for. I just really loved these two. They would do anything for one another and despite the push and pull, they find their way back to one another every time. We also had some great twists and turns in this book as well! While we know some big things from previous books in the series, it was interesting to get Marcus’s and Preston’s povs on it as well. Plus, there are always some good twists that you don’t see coming. My favorite of the three books for sure! 

Roosevelt College Book 2: Until We Meet Again by Christina Lee

 

Roosevelt College Book 2

Bruce “Bones” Lanning and Emil Ettinger had a decent roommate arrangement at Roosevelt College—other than Bones leaving his dirty socks lying around—so they agree to share the same space again. Their relationship has always been ridiculous banter and competitive streaks, and they assume this year will be the same.

So why are they suddenly enjoying nights holed up in their room together?

Bones can’t figure out what’s changed, why he likes being around Emil so much and why he’s suddenly falling asleep in Emil’s bed. And as far as Emil knows, Bones is straight, so why does he seem jealous when Emil arranges a random hookup, then asks all sorts of questions about what it’s like to kiss another guy?

To put an end to his roommate’s endless queries, Emil kisses Bones, convinced he’s just goofing around. But one encounter leads to another, until Emil begins seeing Bones in a different light. Underneath the clueless, carefree facade lies a deeper emotional underpinning that allows Emil to become more vulnerable too—and maybe even admit that spending time with his roommate is the best part of his day.

Still, Emil isn’t about to become another jock’s experiment, so he makes it clear that their hookups are totally casual. Until they’re not.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204192911-until-we-meet-again

********

My Review: 4/5 Stars

Bones and Emil are always finding ways to compete with one another. And as roommates, it just ups competition between them. Yet, they decide they like one another enough to room again the following year. But something is changing with Bones. He really likes being around Emil more and more. And those times he falls asleep in Emil’s bed after watching one of their favorite shows, are some of his favorite moments. Could his feelings for Emil be more than friends? Could he actually be into guys? Or maybe it is just one guy. Emil can admit that his opinion of Bones has changed a lot since they first met. And when they start hooking up, he knows he has to protect himself from gaining more feelings. He can’t be the guy Bones experiments with then leaves when he is done. But the more he knows about Bones, the more he wonders if Bones could actually be that guy. Can Emil take the risk? These two were a lot of fun! We got to know a lot more about Bones and what he has been going through. And it was sweet that he found someone he could confide in about it. I also loved seeing him find himself. These two had great banter and their competitive streak was hilarious. A fun book all around.

Roosevelt College Book 1: XOXO by Christina Lee

 

Roosevelt College Book 1

Lark Levitt doesn’t belong at Roosevelt College, at least in theory. Most students who attend the private university come from wealthy families, and Lark is only a scholarship and a bus ride away from the trailer park where he lives. It’s also a dream come true because dance is his life, and their program is one of the most prestigious in the country. But there are bumps in the road, like running into someone from a difficult time in his childhood. Someone who now pretends he doesn’t exist.

Henry Albrecht survived childhood cancer and is now a Roosevelt quarterback and model student. His past is something his father insists Henry keep private, and though his dad has his reasons, it makes his remission feel like a dirty secret instead of a triumph. He has few precious memories from that time in his life, except for a kid from the hospital who made his recovery manageable. A kid who’s all grown up now and at Roosevelt, jeopardizing everything Henry’s carefully kept under wraps.

They decide the best course of action is to keep their distance. Easier said than done. Their renewed connection brings solace, clarity, and a raw intensity that awakens a spark between them. But hiding their history is exhausting, and soon enough their secret meetups are in danger of being exposed. Henry will need to face his fears—and his father—or lose the only person who’s ever understood the real him.

* Discussions of cancer treatments and depictions of mental heath struggles 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180932119-xoxo

********

My Review: 4/5 Stars

When Henry and Lark were kids they met in one of the worst places to be. A hospital. They became friends and it was what got them through some pretty rough times. But both left at different times and unable to reconnect. Seven years later, they are reunited at college, both in remission. They beat cancer and now they are living their lives. Mostly. For Henry, it’s a bit more complicated. He came to college with a bit more expectations from his dad. Like being on the football and getting good grades but most importantly, tell no one that he had cancer. His dad may have been trying to protect how people would treat him if they knew, but all Henry feels is stress. Especially when Lark comes to college his sophomore year. He is more than relieved to see Lark again. To know that he is okay after so many years, but he also knows that Lark is a piece of his past that could jeopardize everything going on. And though Henry knows he should stay away, he can’t. Because Lark has always been different to him. And now those feelings that have been pushed down come rushing back. For Lark, coming to college on a dance scholarship is the dream. He may be around a lot of rich kids and he is anything but, but he deserves to be there. He worked hard for it. And seeing Henry again? It brings up a lot of feelings. He may not get what Henry is trying to do thanks to his dad, but he’ll keep their past quiet. But he is just as bad at staying away from Henry as Henry is to him. And soon or later, everyone will start to notice. Great story! Lark and Henry are survivors and it was great to see them fighting for what they wanted. Henry especially. He may have been the most stressed but he was slowly building his way to let his truths be known. These two were just super sweet with one another and I loved how they found their way back to one another too. They more than deserve their happy ending!

Longwood U Book 6: Hush Anonymous by Crea Reitan

 

Longwood U Book 6

He’s mine and I’ll kɪll anyone who touches him.

Kylen

I created Hush Anonymous last year for me. Hanging onto trauma I can’t escape and being ridiculously self-conscious and shy doesn’t exactly create a recipe for losing my virginity. In the darkness where no one can judge me seems like the best place. Yet somehow, I manage to find myself a stalker in the darkness. Which isn’t so bad since he knows exactly how to take care of me.

Arek

My weakness is blushing boys and Kylen is exactly my type. I’m a little late realizing but now that I’ve had a taste, I’ll never let this man go. Thankfully, my stalking game doesn’t last forever and he’s willingly mine. He doesn’t shy away when I tell him I’ll kill anyone who tries to touch him. I bet he didn’t realize that the threat is retroactive.

***

This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249498796-hush-anonymous

********

My Review: 5/5 Stars

Arek and Kylen have known one another for a few years now, but not in a way that truly made them friends or anything. But when Kylen enters Hush Anonymous, a way to hook up but without anyone knowing who they were hooking up with, he never expected to the person he hooks with is Arek. Or that Arek would ever let him go after that. Not that Kylen has any idea at first it is Arek. But the same can’t be said for Arek. He immediately picks up that it is Kylen and something in him settles. Just like his Dad Loren, he found his person and just knew. He just has to wait for Kylen to catch up. He plans to make Kylen his forever, which also comes with protecting Kylen from those who harm him. Including Kylen’s past. I loved these two! First off, if you love Loren Van Doren, then you will love Arek. He is definitely Loren’s son in this story. Following his dad a bit when it comes to falling in love. It was really amusing to watch him follow in his dad’s footsteps. I also loved sweet Kylen, who really has been through some trauma and gains so much confidence as the story goes on because Arek is a safe space for him. They were actually very cute together. And I loved seeing them fall harder for one another as the story went on. Plenty of humor and romance and cameos from lots of beloved characters. I’m sad to hear this is the last Longwood U story, but it’s truly been a great series! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

St. Jude’s Medical Book 3: Wedding Manner by CG Macington

 

St. Jude’s Medical Book 3

The Ice King. The Trauma Cowboy. And a wedding so disastrous that it is going to require a surgical team to save the reception.

Maxwell York lives his life by a strict, six-page, colour-coded protocol. As a world-class cardiac surgeon, his 'Standard of Care' is more than a professional it is the only way he can navigate a world that has always inexplicably been too loud and too fast. But when his mother, Catherine, turns his wedding into a royal coronation, Max’s carefully maintained "Ice King" mask begins to shatter under the weight of 1,200 guests and a cathedral full of unpredictable variables.

Jax O’Connell is used to the noise. Between his years as an Afghanistan war medic and his current role as Chief of Trauma, he has built a life on hyper-vigilance and split-second decisions. He knows his fiancé is not he is just calibrated differently. But between a hijacked 747, an Enzo-designed "Tactical Tuxedo," and the ghosts of his own past, Jax is realizing that eloping might be the only way to keep them both from flatlining.

As the York family’s rigid legacy faces a hostile takeover, the chaos reaches a fever pitch. While Max and Jax battle sensory overload and PTSD triggers, Max’s father, Alistair, is hiding a secret of his own. His uncharacteristic behaviour and strange tropical interests are about to drop a sudden shock on the family at the worst possible moment.

When a long-buried secret about Max’s childhood reveals the lengths Catherine went to "sanitize" his history, the merger of the century becomes a mass casualty event for the social elite. Amidst triple vows and a flock of confused doves, Max and Jax must perform the ultimate life-saving building a future where they do not have to be "cured" to be whole.

Return to St. Jude’s Medical for the hilariously high-stakes third installment of the series. Wedding Manner is a steamy, "Own Voices" MM romantic comedy featuring a brilliant surgeon unmasking his truth, a veteran surgeon managing the echoes of war, and a happy ending that is strictly off-protocol.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250056277-wedding-manner

********

My Review: 4/5 Stars

Oh my god did this book make me laugh. Super hilarious the whole way through! We return with Max and Jax for a wedding! But telling Max’s very insane mother about wanting a wedding at city hall doesn’t exactly go according to plan. She wants it to be a very big event. So big that these two rush to Vegas…or at least they try to. Just wait until you see how Catherine stopped that! Max and Jax will have to team up with Preston and Luke to counteract Catherine’s insane plans. And looking for a smoking gun may just lead to some family secrets as well. This book is chaotic and just everything you would want after reading this series so far. I was truly laughing the whole time at the ridiculousness of it all! Definitely don’t miss out on this finale!

St. Jude’s Medical Book 2: Conflict of Interest by CG Macington

 

St. Jude’s Medical Book 2

Spite is a powerful sedative. But in the ER, adrenaline is the only drug that matters.

Preston York has spent his entire life as the "Spare" to the York dynasty: the fun one, the flighty one, the one expected to do nothing more than look good in a tuxedo. But when his older brother Maxwell—the Golden Boy Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery—makes a bet that Preston wouldn't last a week in the real world, Preston decides to prove him wrong. He trades his silk sheets for scrubs, his brunch dates for the graveyard shift, and his dignity for a pair of rubber gloves.

He’s ready for the blood, the guts, and the exhaustion. He is not ready for his boss.

Dr. Lucas Silva clawed his way up from a fourth-floor walk-up in Queens to become the Chief Resident of St. Jude’s. He runs on caffeine, grit, and the crushing weight of his family’s expectations. He has zero patience for tourists, especially not the entitled, devastatingly handsome son of the Chairman of the Board who wears Gucci loafers to a trauma activation.

Luke is convinced Preston is just slumming it before retreating to the safety of the boardroom. Preston is determined to prove that he’s more than just a last name.

But navigating residency is impossible when the entire York clan is breathing down your neck. Between Maxwell micromanaging his surgeries, Jax O’Connell treating the trauma bay like a contact sport, and a mother who tries to bribe the hospital administration to treat her dog, Preston is fighting a war on all fronts.

As the late nights turn into early mornings, the friction between the Spare and the Chief Resident sparks into something dangerous. But when the family legacy offers Preston a golden parachute back to his old life, he has to decide: Is he playing doctor, or is he finally ready to be real?

The prognosis is chaotic.

Conflict of Interest is the direct sequel to Bedside Manner. It features the return of Maxwell and Jax, an eccentric billionaire family with no boundaries, a grumpy Chief Resident, a sunshine Intern, and enough medical drama to require a crash cart.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246974678-conflict-of-interest

********

My Review: 4/5 Stars

Spite is a powerful thing. Preston may be the Spare to his family, but that doesn’t mean he is useless. That’s the last thing he wants to be. So he sets out to prove a point. He goes to medical school. Three years later, he is ready to start his residency at St. Jude’s. He may look like a rich boy, and okay, he can act like it too when necessary, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he is doing and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Luke, the Chief Resident, may think he knows what he is getting when Preston joins, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Not when he watches Preston work his ass off at every task he is thrown with and never complains. Neither are ready for the attraction brewing between them, but they won’t run from it either. Another hilarious story in this series! I adored these two. They were so much fun. Preston was hilarious and as usual so was his ridiculous family. I did love that he fell in love working at the hospital. That maybe he started this adventure for one reason, but really finds his calling in it the longer he works there. And I loved that he was constantly surprising Luke. Preston was also just what Luke needed in his life. Just another fun story all around and I can’t wait to see how this series wraps up! I am expecting more chaos!

Rochester Copperheads Book 2: Spectrum & Smoke by RJ Scott & VL Locey

 

Rochester Copperheads Book 2

One firefighter. One hockey player. One slow-burn relationship neither of them planned for.

Russell “Chip” Cornish plays hockey the way his brain works best—in angles and patterns, with rules he can trust. Off the ice, the world is harder. He sticks to his routines, relies on his assistance dog Sable, and keeps most people at arm’s length. When a fire guts his gym, and the firefighter who carries him out turns out to be impossible to forget, Chip finds himself doing something he’s never been good at—letting someone in.

Dane Rourke didn’t plan on remembering the man he pulled from that fire. He didn’t plan on the cupcakes, or the hockey game, or the slow accumulation of evenings that started meaning more than they should. Getting involved with someone he rescued is the kind of thing that ends careers, and Dane knows it. What he doesn’t know is how to stop.

Spectrum & Smoke is a steamy, slow-burn MM hockey romance featuring neurodivergent rep, an assistance dog who steals every scene she’s in, opposites attract, and a love story that goes all the way to Game Seven.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252256811-spectrum-and-smoke

********

My Review: 5/5 Stars

Chip likes his routines. Whether it’s on the ice playing hockey or just in everyday life. And while being autistic is easier to manage in some parts of his life, doesn’t mean it is perfect. Sometimes it takes him a bit to read people and having his service dog, Sable, is great when his anxiety is up. But making connections with people can be a little harder at times. Trusting someone enough to let them in and have a relationship. But really, he just needed to find the right person. The moment Chip meets Dane, he knows something is different. And it’s not because Dane is a firefighter who saved him. It’s so much more. Chip wants to get to know Dane. Dane knows that getting involved with someone he rescued could be disastrous for himself and for his career. But the more they see one another, the more they take the time to get to know one another, the more Dane realizes that Chip is someone he could fall for. Hard. Easily. Chip will be worth any repercussions if those at his work disagree, but Dane can’t let Chip go without a fight. These two were super sweet! I loved getting to know them and watching their relationship blossom. They just fit together so well and it was clear how much they liked one another from the start. I’m really liking this series so far and I can’t wait for the next one!